By Brittany Whitley

Published: March 22, 2008

Ever been running late and had the urge to jump over a picnic table, scale a wall or vault over a railing to get where you’re going?

If so, you should join Auburn Free Runners for a jam.

Members of this agile group climb walls and vault tables or railings without a second thought.

Free running is a discipline - it is called a discipline instead of a sport because there is no competition in free running - that resembles something out of a Spider-Man comic.

It is a physical art in which participants try to surpass everyday objects in a fluid way.

So instead of walking around a picnic table, a free runner may kong - a vault technique where, after jumping and springing forward with both hands, free runners land on both feet - over the table and then continues on their way.

“It takes a special mindset to start,” said Cody Robinson, a founding member of the Auburn Free Runners.

An athletic mindset is important, he said. People need to have a history of mental and physical discipline.

“You have to be really motivated,” said Alex Chavers, another member of the Auburn Free Runners.

The group has approximately 14 permanent members.

While free running, a participant can do whatever they want. They can flip off a wall or do any number of techniques to get from point A to point B.

In a separate but similar discipline, parkour, a participant tries to get from point A to point B as efficiently as possible. This usually means taking out the fancy footwork, such as flips.

Robinson said he discovered parkour and free running on the Internet. He watched others doing the techniques online and then he learned them himself.

He said he started with very simple techniques and moves. Some moves can be uncomfortable for some, but OK for others.

“Do whatever feels good,” he said.

“Everyone brought their own cool stuff to the group,” he added.

It’s all about learning to use your body in new ways you’ve never tried before, he said.

Both Robinson and Chavers said free running is not just about overcoming physical obstacles, but also mental ones.

“If I can overcome obstacles in the street,” Robinson said. “I can overcome them in life.”

Check out the Free Running slideshow

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Free running lingo: What you need to know

The following is a list of terms used in the free running discipline:

- Jam: when free runners come together to practice and show off their techniques.

- Traceur: a male who practices parkour.

- Traceuse: a female who practices parkour.

- Knog: a forward vault over an object.

- Lazy: 90 degree turn over a rail.

- Precision jumps: sticking a landing, stopping motion.

- Tic Tac: To kick off a wall in order to overcome an obstacle or gain height and grab a ledge.